David, the weaver, lived in a house called Llurig, near Cerniogau Mawr, between Pentrevoelas and Cerrig-y-Drudion. One day David was going over the hill to Bala. On the top of the hill two Fairies met him and desired him to follow them, promising, if he would do so, that they would show him a chest filled with gold and furthermore, they told him that the gold should be his. David was in want of money, and he was therefore quite willing to follow these good natured Fairies. He walked many miles with them across the bleak, bare mountain and at last, descending from the summit, they reached a deep secluded glen lying at the foot of the mountain, and there the Fairies exposed to his view a chest, which had never before been seen by mortal eye, and they informed him that it was his.| David was delighted when he heard the good news, and mentally bade farewell to weaving. He knew, though, from tradition, that he must in some way or other, there and then, take possession of his treasure, or it would disappear. He could not carry the chest away, as it was too heavy, but to show his ownership of the chest he thrust his walking stick into the middle of the gold and there it stood erect. Then he started homewards and often and again, as he left the glen, he turned round to see whether the Fairies had taken his stick away and with it the chest; but no, there it remained. At last the ridge hid all from view and, instead of going on to Bala, he hastened home to tell his good wife of his riches. Quickly did he travel to his cottage, and when there it was not long before his wife knew all about the chest of gold and where it was and how David had taken possession of his riches by thrusting his walking stick into the middle of the gold. It was too late for them to set out to carry the chest home, but they arranged to start before the sun was up the next day. David, well acquainted with Fairy doings, cautioned his wife not to tell anyone of their good fortune, For, if you do, said he, we shall vex the Fairies, and the chest, after all, will not be ours.| She promised to obey, but alas, what woman possesses a silent tongue! No sooner had the husband revealed the secret to his wife than she was impatient to step to her next door neighbours house, just to let them know what a great woman she had all at once become. Now, this neighbour was a shrewd miller, called Samuel. David went out to attend to some little business, leaving his wife alone, and she, spying her opportunity, rushed to the millers house and told him and his wife everything about the chest, and how she and David had arranged to go for the chest next morning before the sun was up. Then she hurried home but never told David where she had been nor what she had done.| The good couple sat up late that night, talking over their good fortune and planning their future. It was consequently far after sunrise when they got up next day and when they reached the secluded valley, where the chest had been, it had disappeared and with it Davids stick. They returned home sad and weary, but this time there was no visit made to the millers house. After long it was quite clearly seen that Samuel the miller had come into a fortune and Davids wife knew that she had done all the mischief by foolishly boasting of the Fairy gift, designed for her husband, to her early rising and crafty neighbour, who had forestalled David and his wife, and had himself taken possession of the precious chest.|

Find information on "The Fairies and their Chest of Gold", and Fairies, in Glasfryn Wales. Celtic and Welsh mythology and folklore in the Walesdirectory.co.uk.